Territory



(No Model.)

0. W. BLACKBURN. WHIFFLETRBE HOOK.

No. 437,558. Patented'Sept. 30, 1890.

g f f I d ATTORNEYS W/TNESSES: v

UNITED, STATES Q PATENT, O ICE.

CHARLES W. BLACKBURN, OF TOMBSTONE, ARIZONA TERRITORY, ASSIGNOB OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN J. PATTON AND WILLIAM D. MONMONIER, OF

, SAME PLACE.

WHlFFLETREE-HOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 437,558,-dated September 30, 3

Application filed March 1, 1890/ To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES W. BLACK- BURN, of Tombstone, in the county of Cochise, Arizona Territory, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Whifiietree-Hooks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improved Whiiiletreehook, or hook intended especially for use on whiftletrees; and the invention consists in certain novel constructions and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the device as in use. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan View thereof. Fig. 3 is a section on about line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Figs. 4 and 6 are detail views, and Fig. is a vertical sectional view, all of which will be described.

The improvedv hook comprises a frame A, having at one end a hook at, and a keeperplate B, fitted in said frame A, and having at one end a tongue I) to close the hook at. The plate B is journaled to or upon the end of the whifiietree, so that it may tilt vertically there on. The frame A ispivoted at O to the plate B, so that it may be set to the position shown in Fig. 1, in which the tongue 17 will close its hook, or the plate B may be turned upward, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 3, to enable the frame A to be tilted to open its hook at, as presently described, the plate and its tongue being so arranged that when the frame rests in the plane of the plate the tongue of the plate will close the hook of the frame.

The described construction is simple and inexpensive, and the tongue operates to efficiently secure the trace-strap ring, oockeye, or other construction desired to be held in contact with the hook.

Together with the above-described construction it is preferred to employ locking devices by which the frame may be held with the tongue in position to close its hook. While various forms of locking devices may be em- 5 ployed it is preferred to use that shown, and which will be now described, as it is simple, easily operated, efficiently serves its purpose, and operates in a convenient manner in connection with the parts A and B.

The keeper-plate is journaled to a support Serial No. 342,308. (No model.)

D, which may be a ferrule fitted on the end of a whiffletree, as shown, or be the body of z the whiffletree,or other suitable construction. This support has a locking projection or portion d, which when in one position of plate B projects along the inner side of the frame A and locks the said frame from tilting on its pivots, but which when the said frame and the plate B are partially rotated from said position permits the tilting of the frame and the removal or application to hook at of the trace-strap or the like. This is eifected by journaling the plate B eccentric to the opening in frame A, so that in one position the projection d will lap alongside said frame, while in a different position the said-portion will rest Within the line of said opening, so it may move therethrough in the tilting of frame A.

It will be noticed that stops E E are arranged for abutmentby the projection (1, such stops being disposed to abut the projection d in such manner as to stop the plate and frame in position with the tongue closing the hook, while intermediate said stops the projection will escape into the opening of the frame as the frame A is tilted. By making the frame with these two stops the same hook may be applied to either end of a whiffletree.

While the invention is especially designed So for use as a whiftletree-hook, it is manifest that I do not desire to be limited to such use, but desire to be protected in all uses to which the invention may be applied.

In operation on a whiflietree the draft straightahead will hold the hook and tongue with the latter closed, while by slacking up the trace and' turning the hook upward it may be tilted outward to permit the removal of the trace.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. An improved device, substantially as de scribed, comprising a frame having a hook at one end, and a keeper-plate fitted in said frame and pivoted between its ends thereto, and provided at one end with a tongue to close the hook of the frame, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a device, substantially as described, 100

the combination of the frame having ahook, the plate pivoted in said frame and having a tongue to close said hook, and the support to which the keeper-plate is journaled, such supporthaving a locking projection or portion arranged to operate substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a device, substantially as described, the combination of the frame having the hook,- the keeper-plate pivoted in the frame and having a tongue to close said hook, and locking devices by which the saidparts may be locked with the tongue in closed position, substantially as set forth.

4 The combination, in a device substantially as described, of the frame having a hook, the keeper-plate pivoted between its ends in said frame and having a tongue to close the hook thereof, and the support to such position to permit the tilting of such frame, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of the frame A, having hook a, and stops E, the plate B, having tongue I) to close hook a and pivoted at O in the frame A, and the support having a projection d, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

CHARLES W. BLACKBURN. Witnesses:

A. L. GROW, J AS. P. MOALLISTER. 

